New skills and collaboration are vital for fashion SMEs, writes Judith Tolley, head of creative business incubator the Centre for Fashion Enterprise, as it opens its new business hub

The UK fashion retail sector has faced several years of upheaval – the continued rise of ecommerce, momentous store closures, and declining profits – and the industry has had to adapt at a much faster rate than ever before to remain relevant and weather the storm.

The owner of legendary Lancashire womenswear store Maureen Cookson looks back on her lifetime of achievement in independent retail.

The UK fashion retail sector has faced several years of upheaval – the continued rise of ecommerce, momentous store closures, and declining profits – and the industry has had to adapt at a much faster rate than ever before to remain relevant and weather the storm.

Drapers marks its 132nd anniversary this week, and we’re not the only ones celebrating.

The UK fashion retail sector has faced several years of upheaval – the continued rise of ecommerce, momentous store closures, and declining profits – and the industry has had to adapt at a much faster rate than ever before to remain relevant and weather the storm.

Pentland Brands trials AR app

Pentland Brands is trialling augmented reality (AR) fit technology with swimwear brand Speedo and its new Speed Mirror app, which promises to find customers the perfect fit when shopping for goggles online.

The app, which launched today, uses 3D scanning technology to recommend the best fitting product. It provides an instant preview of styles on customer’s faces before they are then able to purchase in-app.

Speedo has spent two months trialling the technology, during which users virtually tried on more than 30,000 goggles and received 2,500 product recommendations.

Ben Hardman, head of innovation at Pentland Brands, said: “What’s significant is that the technology can be applied to any footwear, apparel or accessories that are custom-fitted. Across the Pentland Brands portfolio there are plenty of opportunities for us to think about how we can use AR to make our brands and products even more accessible.

“This technology will undoubtedly enhance our customers’ shopping experiences by allowing them to interact with the product before they make a purchase. In this instance, it helps them address a well-documented human pain point: leaky goggles.”

Pentland Brands’ portfolio also includes Lacoste, Ellesse, Berghaus and Canterbury of New Zealand.

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